Ayodhya dispute more important than polygamy: Muslim party to Supreme Court

The Supreme Court said on Friday that it will take a decision on referring the Ayodhya land dispute case to alarger bench after hearing all parties to the litigation.

The top court's remarks came in response to a plea by senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who was appearing for a Muslim party, to refer the Ayodhya case to its larger bench, stating the issue was far more important than that of polygamy among Muslims, which has been referred to a Constitution bench.

"The Ayodhya land dispute is far more important than polygamy among Muslims and the whole nation wants an answer," Rajeev Dhavan told the bench.

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The plea was made before a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra.

The Supreme Court fixed April 27 as the next date of hearing in the case.

The special bench of the apex court is seized of a total of 14 appeals filed against the high court judgement delivered in four civil suits.

The top court had earlier dashed the hopes of activists like Shyam Benegal and Teesta Setalvad to intervene in the sensitive Babri Masjid-Ram Temple land dispute case, making it clear that only the parties to the original lawsuits would be allowed to put forth their arguments.

A three-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court, in a 2:1 majority ruling, had in 2010 ordered that the land be partitioned equally among three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.